Hyundai's U.S. sales increase 38%, topping 2009 total

Hyundai Motor Co. said U.S. deliveries in October rose 38 percent, with demand for Sonata sedans and Tucson sport-utility vehicles leading the automaker toward record sales for the year.

South Korea’s largest automaker sold 42,656 cars and light trucks last month, up from 31,005 a year ago, the company said today in a statement. The company’s U.S. deliveries through October surpassed its total for all of 2009. Kia Motors Corp., Hyundai’s affiliate, said U.S. sales increased 39 percent.

The revamped Sonata, on the market since January, outsold Nissan Motor Co.’s Altima and Ford Motor Co.’s Fusion last month, Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai’s U.S. executive vice president, said in the statement.

Nissan, Ford and most other large carmakers will release October sales results tomorrow, with industrywide deliveries expected to accelerate to the fastest rate in 14 months, according to the average nine analysts’ estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

U.S. deliveries for Hyundai through October were 452,703, while the Seoul-based company sold 435,064 in all of 2009. Hyundai’s U.S. sales peak was 467,009 in 2007. The company’s U.S. operations are based in Fountain Valley, California.